Recently, one of our commercial clients asked us what color she should paint the rooms in her home. She may be selling in a few years, but she needs to paint now because of damage done from winter ice damming.
Her house is more than a 100 years old with high ceilings, wood trim and floors and a decent amount of windows. Most of the rooms are spacious except for the bathrooms and a few bedrooms, which are small.
We reviewed with her what most real estate people suggest:
As we walked through her home, it became apparent that her own personal taste on walls ran to strong, jewel tones – deep greens, reds, rust and blues. She voiced a strong dislike for neutral colors, which she finds very boring. Additionally, each room had its own color palette without any continuity pulling the spaces together.
So here was her dilemma – should she paint the rooms with colors she likes because she wants a space that reflects her taste and makes her feel good or should she paint with colors that will appeal to buyers?
We gave her two options to choose from:
1) Paint neutral and have her walls simply be a backdrop to the wonderful artwork that she has throughout the house. Use the strong jewel tones she loves as accents to reflect her personality. Additionally, instead of having each room different colors and hues, a consistent color palette would unite the feel of the house in a more luxurious and calming way. We offered to work with her on lighting, accessories and paint to give her a new look that still reflects the vibrant approach she has to life and her home.
2) Stay with the colors she currently has and likes but know that she will need to repaint when the house gets staged for selling. This will be an added expense and work, but if she loves how it looks now she should enjoy her haven to the fullest.
If you had this dilemma, what option would be your choice?
Photo: "Twist of Unique"
